So According to Luskin, Paul Krugman Is Both a Liar and a Bigot

[Composed Thinker]

You know that Krugman, a Jew, must really agree with the anti-semetic remarks of a dictator. Does Luskin ever think before he types? He is really grasping at the very few straws that are left here and diving into a new low of stupidity.

Anti-Semitism with a purpose."

Sounds like some sick satire of Madison Avenue advertising slogans, but it's no joke. It's the sub-headline of Paul Krugman's New York Times column yesterday <http://www.pkarchive.org/column/102103.html>, in which he rationalizes violently anti-Semitic remarks by Malaysia's prime minister Mahathir Mohamad as symptoms of the failure of the Bush administration's foreign policy.

The column has already generated a storm of protest on the Times' letters page <http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/22/opinion/L22SEMI.html>, on the web site of the Anti-Defamation League <http://www.adl.org/media_watch/newspapers/20031021-NYTimes.htm>, and on the web (when you're done here, click for great commentaries by new and old friends Musil <http://www.musil.blogspot.com/2003_10_19_musil_archive.html#106672187750420962>, Hogberg <http://www.dhogberg.com/2003_10_19_dhogberg_archive.html#106674224559960090>, Taranto <http://www.opinionjournal.com/best/?id=110004199>, Antler <http://www.opinionjournal.com/best/?id=110004199>, Hinderaker <http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/004901.php>, Henke <http://www.qando.blogspot.com/2003_10_01_qando_archive.html#10667553755209072>, DiBenedetto <http://www.elevendayempire.com/movabletype/archives/006154.html#006154>, Wrightson <http://www.wunderkinder.org/archives/2003_10.html#00210> and Sullivan <http://www.andrewsullivan.com/index.php?dish_inc=archives/2003_10_19_dish_archive.html#106675562511204685>).

But the storm is just getting started. So far nobody has revealed the past ties between Krugman and Mahathir, or pointed out how Krugman appears to have been personally complicit in Mahathir's anti-Semitism.

First, a quick recap of the column in question. Krugman began by quoting Mahathir's statement last week that "The Europeans killed 6 million Jews out of 12 million. But today the Jews rule this world by proxy. They get others to fight and die for them." Krugman immediately acknowledged the White House's denouncement of Mahathir's statement, and agreed that "Indeed, those remarks were inexcusable."

Inexcusable? Apparently not -- Krugman spends the rest of the column excusing them. Krugman says Mahathir's anti-Semitic statement was

[wtmusic]

1. Luskin is infatuated with Krugman

Obsessed, bewitched, bothered, and bewildered. He has nothing better to do.

He needs help.

[Composed Thinker]

2. BUMP

[spooky3]

3. Criticism directed at the person rather than the ideas

he has put forth is very telling.

The critic is probably attacking ad hominem because he has no evidence to refute any of Krugman's devastating critiques of * and friends. Not worth a moment of your time.

[mumon]

4. Here goes the right-wing spin machine!

Krugman is an anti-semite because - GASP - he criticizes Israel!

Ohhhhh no!